The following invention relates to paint ball markers for firing paint balls with sufficient velocity to explode the paint balls against a target. More particularly, this invention relates to compressed gas fired paint ball markers which are capable of rapidly firing a large number of paint ball rounds.
Paint ball markers have long been known for firing spherical balls loaded with a marking dye which can rupture and mark a target upon contact. Typical markers have an appearance generally similar to that of a handgun or rifle but are typically fired by compressed air rather than an explosive charge. Compressed air (or other compressed gases) are stored within the marker with the compressed air firing the paint ball out of the firing chamber when a valve is opened, typically by pulling a trigger, to cause the compressed air to flow to the firing chamber and fire the paint ball out of the firing chamber.
Rapid fire operation of the paint ball marker is often particularly desirable. While advancements have been made in the art to achieve rapid fire operation, problems with such rapid fire paint ball markers persist. These problems include excessive length of the paint ball marker to accommodate a bolt for rapidly loading paint balls into the firing chamber and excessive jamming of the mechanisms which load the paint balls into the firing chamber. Also, paint ball rupture within the firing chamber is a common problem in the prior art, requiring cleaning of the marker before further use. Such disassembly for cleaning of the firing chamber when premature paint ball rupture occurs is difficult with prior art markers. Also, excessive complexity of prior art markers leads to excessive cost and more difficult maintenance.
Accordingly, a need exists for a rapid fire paint ball marker with a loading and firing apparatus which addresses these deficiencies in the prior art.
The paint ball marker of this invention eliminates the moving bolt in line with the firing chamber for loading paint balls into the firing chamber. Paint balls are loaded directly into the firing chamber laterally by operation of a sliding door. Opening and closing of this door, along with the loading of paint balls into the firing chamber is precisely controlled in a timed fashion along with release of a firing charge of compressed gas into the firing chamber for expelling the paint ball.
Specifically, a trigger is provided for firing the marker. This trigger is coupled to a 3-way pneumatic valve. The 3-way pneumatic valve controls a position of a ram. The ram includes a piston slidably positioned within a blind bore within a housing of the marker. Movement of the trigger causes compressed gas flow to act upon the piston within the ram in one of two directions to cause the piston to move in a desired fashion. A rod extends from the piston and is coupled to a unity bracket.
The unity bracket is driven by the ram which is controlled by toggling of the trigger. The unity bracket in turn controls an activator valve which directs compressed gas to the firing chamber. The unity bracket also controls positioning of the door which selectively opens and closes a loading hole for feeding paint balls into the firing chamber.
The activator valve preferably has a generally cylindrical form with a shaft moving longitudinally within a bore. A series of ports extend between a source of compressed air, a charge chamber and an outlet port leading to an entrance for compressed gas into the firing chamber. The shaft of the activator valve is coupled to the unity bracket. Hence, when the unity bracket is driven by the ram, the shaft of the activator valve moves within the bore. Pathways within the shaft selectively allow for compressed gas flow from the source of compressed gas into the charge chamber and then later from the charge chamber to the outlet port and on to the firing chamber.
Simultaneously, the unity bracket preferably controls the door for loading paint balls into the firing chamber. The unity bracket causes a loading slide coupled thereto to move. The loading slide has a beveled end which is configured to interface with an under bevel on the door adjacent the loading hole in the firing chamber. The beveled end of the loading slide and under bevel are configured so that when they abut each other movement of the loading slide causes the door to move from the closed position to the open position. A spring biases the door to the closed position. Hence, the door remains closed except when the loading slide is driven into the under bevel of the door, causing the door to move to the open position.
A door slot adjacent the loading hole in the firing chamber restricts the door to only sliding motion along a line non-parallel with a central axis of the firing chamber. The door slot has beveled and tapered lateral edges which complement beveled and tapered rails along side edges of the door so that the door is held adjacent the loading hole when the door is in the closed position and the door can tightly seal the firing chamber when the door is in the closed position.
Movement of the activator valve and the door are synchronized so that the door is closed when the activator valve releases the charge of compressed gas to the firing chamber. When the activator valve is closed to air passing out of the firing chamber but open to air entering the charge chamber, the door is in the open position so that a paint ball can pass through the loading hole and into the firing chamber. The door is then closed before the activator valve opens to allow compressed gas from the charge chamber to the entrance into the firing chamber.
Because the paint balls move laterally into the firing chamber, rather than being brought forward in axial fashion by a bolt into the firing chamber, an overall length of the marker which would otherwise be required to accommodate the bolt is reduced. Additionally, a back plug need merely be removed to provide access entirely through the firing chamber and barrel, so that ruptured paint balls within the firing chamber can be quickly evacuated.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a paint ball marker which quickly and reliably loads and fires a paint ball with a charge of compressed gas.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a compressed gas paint ball marker which does not include a bolt.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paint ball marker which can be quickly and easily cleaned, especially through the firing chamber and barrel, such as when a paint ball ruptures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paint ball marker which can rapidly fire paint balls.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paint ball marker which avoids jamming and paint ball rupture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paint ball marker which is of relatively simple, lightweight and reduced size overall construction.
Other further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the included drawing figures, the claims and detailed description of the invention.